Science News from 2020

Carlos Zarate Jr., M.D., chief of the Experimental Therapeutics and Pathophysiology Branch within the NIMH Intramural Research Program, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

A genetic study has identified neuronal abnormalities in the electrical activity of cortical cells derived from people with a rare genetic disorder called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health are available to speak on topics related to suicide and suicide prevention, including the warning signs of suicide, suicide prevention methods, trends in suicide rates, how to find mental health help and support, and the latest in suicide prevention research.

A scientific analysis of more than 2,000 brain scans found evidence for highly reproducible sex differences in the volume of certain regions in the human brain.

A large-scale study of U.S. teens shows associations between outdoor, artificial light at night and health outcomes.

Researchers funded by NIMH have found that astrocytes, a type of brain cell, can harbor HIV and then spread the virus to immune cells that traffic out of the brain and into other organs.

In a new paper, published in JAMA Psychiatry, NIMH looks forward, outlining the next stages in the Institute’s suicide prevention research priorities.

Right now, people across the country are currently coping with yet another episode of violence perpetrated against a person of color. In this Institute Update, Dr. Gordon addresses recent events.

The Strategic Plan for Research advances the Institute’s mission and helps guide future mental health research efforts.

A new data analysis has found patients who visited the emergency department for an opioid or sedative/hypnotic drug overdose were at higher risk of dying by drug overdose or suicide in the year after being discharged relative to the general population.

Researchers investigating how temperament shapes adult life-course outcomes have found that behavioral inhibition in infancy predicts a reserved, introverted personality at age 26 and for some, a risk of internalizing psychopathology such as anxiety and depression.

Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health, and P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.B.B.S., of Duke University School of Medicine, discuss the use of apps to manage mental health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Experts from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) are available to speak on a variety of topics related to mental health and the coronavirus pandemic, such as the effects of the pandemic and isolation on those with and without mental illnesses; healthy ways to deal with stress, anxiety, and loneliness; how to talk with children and teens about the coronavirus; and how people can find mental health help and support if they need it.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful – it can be difficult to cope with fear and anxiety, changing daily routines, and a general sense of uncertainty. Taking steps to care for your mental health can help you manage stress.

An innovative NIMH-funded trial shows that a receptor involved in the brain’s reward system may be a viable target for treating anhedonia (or lack of pleasure), a key symptom of several mood and anxiety disorders.

NIH-funded research uses machine learning algorithm to predict individual response to a commonly-prescribed antidepressant.

Susan Amara, Ph.D., scientific director of the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), has been selected to serve as president-elect of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS).